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How would you react? If you were constrained by a rule, but had the opportunity to be merciful, to change a life, what would you do? It's wild to look back and see how the Pharisees acted, always seeming to choose the wrong action, but what do you think they were like in the time? They're easy villains now... but I have to imagine they wanted to do the right thing. They thought they were protecting the faith by protecting the rules, and looking to punish those who violated the rules, especially those who broke the rules publicly. They wanted to protect the church, but instead they were turning people away due to their hardened hearts.
It's a reminder to me to pray for a softer heart. I see things every day that try and harden my heart, that make me want to pull back from others. Jesus calls us to soften towards the world, as brutal as it can be. To love, to be merciful, and to let the Holy Spirit lead us.
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